Jordan man dies from swine flu; kingdom reports 49 cases

A 26-year old Jordanian man died from swine flu late on Sunday after contracting the H1N1 strain, the Jordan Times reported, citing the kingdom's Ministry of Health.

The man, who was initially suffering from pneumonia symptoms, was admitted to a hospital four days ago, the newspaper reported, citing Minister of Health Abdul Latif Wreikat. His condition deteriorated as he also suffered from heart disease.

The kingdom has recorded 49 cases of swine flu since the beginning of its winter season and authorities are setting up a hotline to cope with health concerns.

Jordan saw more than 3,000 cases of H1N1 in 2009 and reported 16 deaths in the same year from the virus. The kingdom had 17 additional deaths the following year and registered 289 cases in 2010, the newspaper reported.

Nine people died in the Palestinian territories and 187 cases were reported in a recent outbreak, according to AFP.